Living, Parenting and Working with ADHD

As ADHD Awareness Month draws to a close, our Head of Health Advocacy, Alison Dunlop, shares her personal experience of living with ADHD.  Her hope is that 2025 marks a meaningful turning point to drive change, recognising ADHD as a public health priority to transform the lives of those living with ADHD.

October is ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) Awareness Month – a key moment to challenge misconceptions and champion neurodiversity in all its forms. For me, this particular awareness month is deeply personal. I’m the parent of a gorgeous 12 year old (Edie) with ADHD – and I live with it too.

For years, I managed my ADHD quietly, reluctant to speak openly to avoid judgement or misunderstanding. But the more I’ve learned – through my own experience and that of my daughter – the more I’ve realised that visibility matters.  Working in Health Advocacy, I am acutely aware of the impact that sharing stories about the lived experience has on normalising conversations, breaking down stigma, and – in this instance – helping to create an environment where neurodiversity is recognised, respected and supported.

ADHD at Home and at Work

Living with ADHD, and parenting a child who shares the same – but different – wiring, means that I have a unique view of both the struggles and the strengths that come with it. ADHD can be chaotic, emotional and unpredictable – but it can also mean creativity, intuition and energy.

Throughout my career, I’ve always thought that ADHD has been the key driver in fuelling my curiosity, fast thinking and big picture vision – skills that really have served me well in communications.

But, inevitably, it has also come with its challenges. I’ve had to work hard (a life long battle!) on focus, organisation and planning. But, like many neurodivergent professionals, I’ve tried to build systems that harness my strengths, while maintaining balance to protect my wellbeing.

At home, I see those same traits reflected in Edie: the imagination, the humour, the spark, alongside the daily frustrations that can come with navigating a world that is just not designed for incredible minds like hers.

The Power of Advocacy

This month, patient communities and advocacy groups across the UK have delivered campaigns that are reshaping how ADHD is understood and supported. These groups are raising awareness, fighting stigma and giving a voice to those who too often go unheard.

But we need to see progress in five key areas to see real change:

• Inclusion of neurodiversity in national mental health and education strategies: This is fundamental in moving us from a system built on awareness and accommodation to one rooted in equity, access and opportunity – allowing every neurodivergent person to reach their full potential.
• Faster, equitable access to assessment and support: The Health and Social Care Committee (HSCC) set up to review Autism and ADHD diagnostic pathways for children and young people, recognises that the current specialist diagnosis-led model of support is no longer sustainable. Long term solutions move towards a needs-led model, providing early detection and care before diagnosis – while maintaining access to diagnosis for those who need it.
• Investment in data: Allowing for more in depth analysis of outcomes will enable the development of evidence based strategies that enable a better understanding of the true scale of need to design services that meet the needs of those who need them.
• Investment in early intervention: Prioritising investment in the workforce crisis within specialist professions supporting children with autism and ADHD is critical to support early intervention. This will help reduce long term negative outcomes such as poor educational outcomes, poor mental and physical health and entry into the criminal justice system – much of which can be avoidable.
• Urgent reform of the SEND system: Much needed reforms of the SEND system have been delayed until next year. While deeply frustrating for parents, this is an important period of co creation to ensure that the voices of families, educators and stakeholders are at the heart of building a more sustainable, equitable system that better delivers for children and young people.

From Awareness to Action

In ADHD Awareness Month, I know that awareness is just the beginning. My hope is that with people like me sharing our stories, we help to normalise conversations and inspire change – and real change comes with acceptance, equity and empowerment.

I’m very proud that at MHP Health we are working alongside colleagues, industry leaders and diverse communities who are helping to drive that change – building campaigns and shaping conversations and strategies that reflect the real diversity of human experience.

I know that ADHD has gifted me and my daughter a different operating system. While my daughter is currently facing the challenges of navigating an education system that is woefully ill equipped to support children with ADHD needs, for me the story is different. I know that ADHD has shaped how I think, how I lead and how I connect with others – and, while it can make life a little chaotic at times, it’s also what makes my work and my life infinitely more interesting.

I remain an eternal optimist – hopeful that 2025 will mark a meaningful turning point for people living with ADHD so that Edie – and other children with similarly exceptional minds – receive the support and recognition they need to realise their full potential in life.